Dec 05 2008
Movies Opening December 5
It is a very low key week for movies. I have heard more about Frost/Nixson than I have about either of the wide release movies. Frost/Nixon is also a Certified Fresh movie too.
Nationwide Releases
Cadillac Records
Punisher: War Zone
Cadillac Records
Directed: Darnell Martin
Starring: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Beyonce Knowles, Gabrielle Union, Columbus Short, Cedric the Entertainer
Trailer
Synopsis: Shares the story of the rise of Chess Records in the 1950s and 60s with artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry and Etta James.
My Take: The music sounds good, but it didn’t make the story sound all that interesting. I could listen to Beyonce sing “At Last” over and over again though.
RT Score: 65%
RT Consensus: What Cadillac Records may lack in originality, it more than makes up for in strong performances and soul-stirring music.
Punisher: War Zone
Directed: Lexi Alexander
Starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Colin Salmon, Doug Hutchison
Trailer
Synopsis: I think it is a sequel, but it has different people in it. There also seems to be a lot of shooting and a guy with a stitched up face.
My Take: Lots of shooting, but really no clue what it is about.
RT Score: 22%
RT Consensus: Punisher: War Zone recalls the excessively violent, dialogue-challenged actioners of the 1980s, and coincidentally feels two decades out of date.
Limited Releases
Frost/Nixon
Let Them Chirp Awhile
Ciao
Frost/Nixon
Directed: Ron Howard
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Matthew Macfadyen
Trailer
Synopsis: Three years after being ousted as President, Nixon sat down with a showboating British talk show host for an all-inclusive interview where Frost was looking to make a name for himself and Nixon thought he’d win over American viewers while trouncing a inexperienced journalist.
My Take: While watching a movie about an interview doesn’t sound interesting, the trailers look really, really good.
RT Score: 90%
RT Consensus: Frost/Nixon is weighty and eloquent; a cross between a boxing match and a ballet with Oscar worthy performances.
Let Them Chirp Awhile
Directed: Jonathan Blitstein
Starring: Justin Rice, Brendan Sexton III, Laura Breckenridge, Pepper Binkley, Zach Galligan
Trailer
Synopsis: A screenwriter is struggling with writer’s block, but when he comes up with a new idea and shares it with his friend, his friend ends up telling his nemesis who is having success of his own already in an Off-Broadway play.
My Take: Parts of it looked mildly amusing and cute, while other parts looked like it was trying too hard to be quirky.
RT Score: 50%
Ciao
Directed: Yen Tan
Starring: Adam Neal Smith, Alessandro Calza, Charles W. Baum,Ethel Lung
Trailer
Synopsis: After his best friend dies unexpectedly, the man’s friend reads through is emails and finds one man in Italy he’s been writing to and had a plan to visit. The friend develops a friendship with the Italian while talking about the guy who died.
My Take: It seems like a sweet, sad movie.
RT Score: 22%
